I’ve spoken about strollers in Japan at length and I get messages daily from people asking me if they should take their stroller to Japan (short answer: 1000000% YES! and I explain why you need to bring a stroller to Japan here) but most of my private messages are from people already in Japan who regret not bringing their stroller from home and are now in a pickle.
So, I must admit, in my head I’m constantly thinking “bring your stroller from home!” but I understand that … once you’re in Japan… that’s not so helpful.
So here are your options if you need a stroller:
1) Ask your hotel if they have a stroller you can use (hint – in Japan, a stroller is called a “baby car” and is more easily understood that way.)
2) Buy a stroller from your closest Toys R Us or Aeon Mall or on Amazon Japan (warning – this is not a cheap option but is the most reliable option. On Amazon Japan this stroller is popular and can arrive to a Japanese address in 1-2 days – if in stock.)
3) Try your luck at a second hand store in Japan such as Bookoff or Hardoff for options.
4) Rent a stroller from Japan with Family (Tokyo only)
5) Rent a stroller from Baby Cal stroller rental spaces within some Tokyo train stations.
Baby Cal has set up stroller rental options in some Tokyo train stations. You need to reserve a stroller ahead of time but this service is available only in Japanese so you will need to get your hotel concierge to set this up for you ( I speak more here about why it’s so great to book a hotel in Japan with an English speaking front desk, especially when travelling with kids, here.). Baby Cal strollers can be borrowed for up to 7 days at a time. It is 1500 yen to rent a baby cal stroller for 12 hours. BabyCal unmanned and manned rental bases are all over Japan. Search for your closest Baby Cal location here .
If you’re interested on which other items I recommend packing or preparing ahead before travelling to Japan with children, I think you’ll like reading my Packing for Japan with Kids blog post here.
